Aston Villa’s perfect start to their Champions League campaign ended with a 3-0 defeat to Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Unai Emery said the performance offered useful lessons, while acknowledging his side still have work to do to reach the hosts’ level.
Villa conceded early when a misplaced pass from Joao Gomes allowed Lamine Yamal to score. They responded by creating chances in an entertaining first half, but could not convert them. Raphinha scored twice after the break to put the result beyond reach.
Emery said Villa had competed well at times, but needed to be more clinical in attack. He described the 3-0 scoreline as possibly harsher than the visitors deserved, while accepting the defeat and saying it provided information to analyse as the team continues to compete in Europe.
The result followed three Villa wins in the league phase, against Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Viking. Barcelona moved ahead of them in the table. Emery said he was not blaming Gomes for the error, adding that the team had overcome mistakes together before.
Villa captain John McGinn said Barcelona made the right decisions at important moments. He described the match as a learning experience and said Villa had shown they could compete against high-level opponents, including Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
Emery took charge of Villa when they were close to the Premier League relegation zone. Since then, the club have won the Europa League and played in two Champions League campaigns. Their next match is away to Manchester United on Sunday.
Sources: BBC Sport.